Clothespin



J. WAREING CLOTHESPIN Sept. 27, 1938.

Filed Dec. 16, 1936 r INVENTORJ Patented Sept. 27, 1938 UNITED STATES CLOTHESPIN Joseph Wareing, Buffalo, N. Application DecemBer'lG, 1e36, Serial No. 116,129

2 Claims.

maximum embracing capacity which will adjust.

itself automatically to hold a garment to any thickness of clothes line and will not be detached therefrom as the clothes and line are moved by the wind.

The invention resides more particularly in the novel combination, formation and arrangement 20 of parts hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing: Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a clothes pin made in accordance with my invention. 25 Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the pin.

Fig. 3 is a view of the pin in an engaged position with clothes and clothes line the pin having automatically revolved seventy-five degrees, more or less, about its vertical axis.

Fig. 4 is a side view showing the principle used with a metal stamping which, when bent at its intermediate point to form a large loop and jaw shanks, will form a clothes pin similar in design and identical in principle with Figures 2 and 3.

Fig. 5 is an edge View of the same.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the pin is formed from a single length of wire or strip and is bent at its intermediate point to form a large loop I and a pair of jaw shanks 2 and 3 40 which normally extend in slightly spaced relation substantially parallel to one another, the shanks being extended in gradual divergent relation with outwardly disposed terminal eyes 4 and 5.

In the shanks 2 and 3 are formed the bowed portions 6 and l constituting the jaws of the clothes pin, such bowed portions being in opposite directions and both lying in planes perpendicular to that of the large loop portion I. The bowed portions have slightly different positions along the lengths of their respective shanks so that their centers are out of register with one another in a direction lengthwise of the shanks and form a socket of the shape shown in Fig. 2, allowing a maximum amount of embracing contact and pressure between pin, clothes and clothes line for. any thickness of clothes or clothes line. The wire is preferably stiif but slightly flexible so that the jaw shanks may be spread apart When the pin is being applied or removed from the line, but they alwaystend to resume a closed position due to the resiliency of the material from which the wire is made and thus exert a gripping pressure upon the garment and line when placed thereon. 10

The positions and locations of the two bowed V portions or jaws 6,! should be noticed particularly. The bowed portions do not lie in the same plane as the large loop I, but are bent to lie in planes at right angles thereto. Furthermore, the bows are exceptionally large for this type of clothes pin-giving a large embracing contact with garment and line-and have their centers arranged at difierent points in the direction of the length of their respective shanks. The reasons for this arrangement of parts are as follows:

As the pin is applied over garment and line it will travel a distance d without rotation since these portions of the clamping jaws 6 and I are oppositely disposed; however, as the garment and line reach a point beyond the distance d where the shanks are no longer oppositely disposed and where the bowed portions present new points of contact, which tend' to bend the line between them, the pin will rotate seventy-five degrees, more or less, about its vertical axis due to the lines resistance to such bending. The bows or jaws 6, l of the pinnow with their faces turned inward toward the line as shown at 8, Figure 3- will be more oppositely disposed and will clamp the clothes and line in a firm embrace due to stiifness of the wire and to the pins tendency to further rotate against the resistance offered by the line to bending.

The rotation of the clothes pin is helical in form as it progresses over clothes and line, this being due to the centers of the bows being arranged slightly out of transverse alinement relative to each other along their respective clamping shanks.

It is very improbable that any degree or direction of wind could cause the pin to make a reversal of this complicated motion and so release it, yet, this may be accomplished with simplicity and ease by taking hold of the large loopbetween finger and thumb of the right hand and twisting or turning the pin in a counter-clockwise direction, -the act being similar to that of unlocking a door with a key.

The rotation of the pin, as it is removed from the line, also describes a helical path but in reverse direction and the simple act of turning the pin to the left causes the pin to rise on the line so that the normally, oppositely disposed portions of the shanks again engage the clothes and line, when it may be removed. The act of removing the pin is continuous and rapid.

The special provision and arrangement of parts embodying my invention provides a clothes pin which is very simple and inexpensive to manufacture as only the simplest form of dies and a minimum amount of labor and materials are required.

The pin is simple and easy touse and the arrangement of the bowed portions gives a maximum embracing contact with the clothes and line for any thickness of garment or clothes line without adjustments, multiplicity of sockets or other extra provisions.

The locking eflect of this device is very positive and any drag on 'the clothes, by wind or otherwise, will not cause the pin to rise on the line or be dislodged in any way after it .has been placed in position.

Removing the pin by reversing the direction of rotation keeps the shanks of the pin from being distorted and thereby rendered inefiective.

The shanks may be spread apart a considerable distance without impairing the efiiciency of the device.

What I claim is:

1. A clothes pin constructed from a piece of spring material and comprising a loop and two shanks arranged side by side and having their upper ends connected by said loop and the intermediate parts of said shanks having bowed portions forming jaws which project in opposite directions from said shanks and in planes at right angles to the plane of said loop.

2. A clothes pin constructed from a piece of spring material and comprising a loop and two shanks arranged side by side and having their upper ends connected by said loop and the intermediate parts of said shanks having bowed portions forming jaws which project in opposite directions from said shanks and in planes at right angles to the plane of said loop and the centers of said jaws being arranged out of register with each other in a direction lengthwise of said shanks.

JOSEPH WAREING. 

